


or i come close

by JeanSouth



Series: UshiOi Ship Week 2016 [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 04:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5992317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeanSouth/pseuds/JeanSouth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having a crush on a client is strictly unprofessional, and does absolutely nothing to stop him.<br/>Day 7 of UshiOi week</p>
            </blockquote>





	or i come close

**Author's Note:**

> here we are! Day 7 - Free space for UshiOi week.

Oikawa knows Ushijima. Of course, he knows all of his clients in the strictest of senses. He remembers Akaashi's longsuffering, plea-filled sighs when he brought in Bokuto's hamster for the umpteenth time, and he remembers Kiyoko bringing in her dog, then her new girlfriend's dog, then them coming in for a joint check-up and being largely oblivious to his presence in the haze of new, young love.  
  
But he remembers Ushijima a bit more intensely - he has two cats that come neatly for their shots, and one in particular that lives for danger and draining Ushijima's bank account with vet bills. He's a lawyer, Oikawa knows; the veterinary nurse always teases him and schedules their time slot for longer than is strictly usual, a knowing glint in her eye.  
  
So he has a crush on Ushijima, what of it? He's well-built and well-kept, polite and largely stoic until he stands next to the table (cranked up to the highest height) and holds one of his cats to his chest, his thumb gently stroking its flank and allowing their faces to hide in the comfort of his shirt collar while they get their shots.  
  
And Oikawa is a sucker for a man who loves cats. It's sort of why he's a vet, besides the love for animals to begin with.  
  
It's what makes him want to approach Ushijima, looking desperately out of place in a pressed white shirt and no suit jacket, his back straight and a coke in front of him, chatter seeming to flow easily around him despite his lack of participation.  
  
It makes a change to the chanted calls of Oikawa's name when his friends want to draw his attention back to the table, peering out in to the crowd to see who's caught his eye. They keep trying to guess who it is, pointing out cute girls or fashionable guys, which is fair when that's normally his type, but... they're not Ushijima.  
  
They don't have that tiny half-smile, the one mostly hidden when Ushijima glances down to the cat in his arms and lets show that he has a soft heart inside. It always makes Oikawa think that he wouldn't be surprised to find out Ushijima has an instagram full of cat pictures, or that he'd definitely make one if introduced to it by, say, a helpful boyfriend.  
  
His attention drifts again from the topic of a movie and next-weekend plans when Ushijima stands and heads to the bar instead, seeming to slot himself into the end and tower over the crowd, his impassive look mistaken for annoyance by the bartender who flags down the assistant manager to serve him instead.  
  
"I, uh, I'm gonna get another beer," he says, though his glass is half-full in front of him and he doesn't take it with him when he goes, sliding through the crowd and pushing through the mass of bodies to slip into the place where someone just vacated, right next to Ushijima. He hasn't been noticed yet, so when the assistant manager makes his way over, Oikawa takes his chance and leaps. He's never been called shy.  
  
"Could I get a screwdriver for me, and a coke for my friend here?" he asks, cash already in hand and ready to pass over while the situation works its way through Ushijima's head, his eyes scrutinizing Oikawa like a particularly difficult case. "You said you don't drink, so..."  
  
Near the bar the music is slightly quieter, so he doesn't have to strain his voice so much to be heard, catching the nod when their drinks arrive.  
  
"Thank you," Ushijima tells him, and (thankfully) makes no move to find his table again. "Why...?"  
  
"I saw you over here, and you looked a bit lonely," Oikawa tells him, half the truth. He did look uncomfortable and slightly out of place, his preference for ma-and-pa shops mentioned a few times before. "I'm taking my chance and talking to you in a situation that doesn't have me wearing latex gloves."  
  
He finishes on a wink, sipping at his drink a bit to give Ushijima a chance to reply.  
  
"I appreciate it. I'm flatted you remember I don't drink," he raises his coke slightly, catching the complementary straw between his lips to sip at it. He seems a bit more relaxed with a purpose and someone to talk to; a bit of sureness. Oikawa can imagine that with a set goal in mind Ushijima's probably terrifying in a court. He'd sort of like to see it, but it's the least of the things he wants to see. Sometimes he wonders if he lets the cats sleep on the bed and snuggles with them, his large hands squishing at their tummies.  
  
He wants to see the cute side of Ushijima, he supposes.  
  
"I, well," Oikawa shrugs a bit. In a bar, he may as well get the word out and be rejected if he has to - he doubts it'll ever come up again if he is. "You're really great to talk to, so I remember. Actually, I'd like to take you to dinner sometime. If that's alright with you. Or cook you dinner, if a restaurant's a bit much. I can follow a recipe pretty well."  
  
He shoots Ushijima a hopeful smile, hoping that his easy-going nature and his flow of conversation, his interest in Ushijima as a person will sway him into acceptance. The smile falters a tiny bit as he's just watched, Ushijima glancing back to his table.  
  
"I thought mixers didn't work," Ushijima comments, running a hand through his hair. It's a bit mussed, unlike his usual style. It sort of suits him, the ruffled look. He seems to catch on a moment later that he hasn't answered. "But yes. I'd like that."  
  
He smiles to himself, that tiny bit that seems a glimpse into his marshmallow heart.  
  
"I usually trusts my cats' instincts for people."  
  
Oikawa laughs then, and figures they're really not that different.


End file.
